Steel Tattoo
by TheCrowMaiden
Summary: Law doesn't give Kid a choice about getting his arm fixed. AU, one-shot, slight fluff? Rated M because of Kid's language. WARNING: I have never written KidxLaw before and I don't actually ship it (I have nothing against it though); I wrote this as a gift. So if it seems a bit...off that would be why. ItriedI'msorry This is for maridoodles over on tumblr.


Eustass Kid's head felt like he'd slept on his metal arm all night. He swore, and used his other arm to rub the grit out of his eyes. He hadn't been black-out drunk in a while, and he was starting to remember why he'd quit doing it. His goggles were still on, and he ripped them off and threw them into the corner, hoping to ease the throbbing behind his eyes. If he had to find a mechanic to threaten into fixing the malfunction in his arm with a hangover, he might maim the first man to look at him.

He warily opened his eyes, and stared up at the dark ceiling. Not only was it dark, he was alone.

"Thank fucking god."

Kid had been hoping that Law wouldn't be there when he woke up. The other couple of times Kid had passed out, he had woken up to Law watching him the creepiest damn smile. The other man had claimed to be 'studying the effects of the over-imbibing of alcohol'.

The pounding in his head had levelled out, so Kid rolled out of bed with the intent of finding his partner and suggesting they find somewhere to demand a hot meal from. But instead of just rolling out of the bed, he half-flew half-crashed out of it and slammed into the floor. Spitting curses, it took him all of second to realize what was wrong.

He was missing his arm.

"LAW!"

Trafalgar Law looked up from his operating table as Kid stormed up the stairs, wearing only last night's rumpled pants. Kid was so off balance that it would be almost laughable, if he wasn't so murderously angry.

"Where's my fucking arm Law?!"

"I'm fixing it."

"You couldn't have just asked me to work on it, instead of using your goddamn 'room' and stealing my arm?!" Kid roared, setting the metal instruments rattling. "You're not even a mechanic for fuck's sake! You're a doctor!"

"It's the same basic principle." The doctor replied blandly, resting his chin on his hand as he selected a flat head screwdriver from the box in front of him. "It still comes down to repairing what's damaged."

"If you wreck that arm I'll be taking payment out of your guts, you son of a bitch."

"Noted." Law smirked, and decided to add insult to injury by giving the redhead the finger. "Now go away before I relocate your head somewhere where it won't disturb me."

Kid slammed the door shut behind him so hard the door cracked, and he stomped down the stairs with enough force to shake the staircase and dislodge the rail. The old inn they had appropriated for their use while on the island wasn't the sturdiest building in the first place, and it was no match for Kid in a temper.

Not a single member of either of their crews were in sight when he got to the main room, half empty bottles and an abandoned card game evidence of a hasty exit. Kid sat at the card table, and kicked the cards off, leaving his feet propped up. The nearest bottle was mostly full, and he knocked the liquor back with a sneer. Might as well finish the way he started.

Unfortunately that wasn't possible though. He was out of liquor long before he got drunk, and as he wasn't going to go outside and the crew was still hiding for the fucking lives, he had no choice but to sit and be pissed.

"Shambles."

"Fuck!"

The sudden weight of his arm being reattached threw off Kid's balance, and he almost tipped over backwards. Law was leaning against the wall with a smug smile, and Kid threw the empty bottle at his head. The doctor dodged it easily though, and sat across from the redhead within easy reach.

"You're a bastard, Law."

"I'm aware."

Kid glared at him before stretching out his mechanical arm, checking that everything worked. The malfunction was gone, and Kid once again could move all four fingers individually. Law must have already known it would work, judging from his smirk.

The crunch of the table practically disintegrating under his steel fist was highly satisfying, as was Law's briefly startled expression. Kid grinned, and shook the splinters out of his steel joints.

A taunt was on the tip of his lips when he noticed something in the wreckage of the table. Ignoring Law's suddenly enigmatic look, Kid crouched down to inspect the floor.

HTAE

"The fuck is this?" Kid looked at the shattered edges of the letters, and then at his knuckles. "Eath? The _fuck_ is thi-"

"Oh." He stared at his thumb, with the heavy printing press letter on it, and then looked up at Law who was staring off at the wall as if it was the most interesting thing he'd seen in his life.

Kid got up and went to Law, grabbing him by the front of his shirt and planting a rough kiss on the man.

"You sappy fucker," he smirked, "want us to have matching coats next?"


End file.
